Heh, great user name/post combo.
Jeez, no. We just got wholloped twice in a week and the equipment is out there overnight ploughing until the roads are clear, and then for a few days afterwards they move all the roadside piles into dump trucks and drop the snow at various snow dumps throughout the region.
Mind you it costs millions of dollars to clean up after one of these major storms, but still…
Using all-seasons all year in places that get seriously cold is a bad idea. The issue isn’t just snow - it’s also road temp. Winter tires grip the road at low temps and all-seasons do not, not as well at least.
Yes, I switch to dedicated winter wheels/tires during the cold months, and back to dedicated summer wheels/tires for the warmer ones.
There is just no replacement for tires, and I see benefits all around.
I said it depends because on one vehicle I do and the other I don’t. The car that gets the snows happened to come with an extra set of rims and has small wheels (=cheaper) so it got snow tires. The car that doesn’t get snows is AWD so at least that helps some. I don’t think I could fit a second extra set of tires in my garage, anyway.
Nope. I run snow tires year round. We can get snow from Sept/Oct all the way through April so there really isn’t worth it to change over.
Oops. I clicked “yes” by mistake. So reduce the yes votes by one and make mine a “no.”
I live in SE Michigan (snow and ice, but it’s usually not a big deal) and currently my two vehicles - a pickup truck and a minivan - wear the same tires for every season. Yes, I get “all season” tires but since both of these vehicles are appliances and I’m of the opinion that the major criterion in staying on the road is driver ability, not equipment, this works for me.
When I had a very sporty car (Saab Viggen) I did have two sets of tires, but honestly barely drove the Saab when road conditions were awful. I mostly drive on fairly urban/suburban roads and for the most part major roadways are maintained pretty well.
I live in a warm enough place (North Florida) that I can get away with using summer tires all year round, tho when we have a hard freeze I have to be careful in the morning.
that’s the part that gets warm more than a month. they have wood houses there out of necessity.
I run on snowtires all year round. Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armour – a nice off-road tire for my Jeep that is also an excellent snow tire.
It’s actually a law here in Montreal that you have to change your tires for the seasons.
I used to, but now live in an area with no significant snow.
I run very aggressive performance tires year round. They aren’t as sticky in 20 degree weather, but the car is well-balanced enough that it’s not a problem. For my needs, all-season tires are unsuitable in any season and I always recommend snow tires for those who experience more than ten inches of snow over the course of the Winter.
In the province of Quebec (just 40 miles north of us), snow tires are required by law for residents. If you live elsewhere, you don’t need to buy and mount snows to travel there, but residents have to have them.
We live in snow country, in the mountains. Snows with studs. As noted above, in flat snow country, you can get away with all seasons - if you don’t do much driving out of town.
I voted no, but only because there was no option for “what’s a season?”
South Florida. We don’t do seasons. Unless you mean “Hurricane” and Dry".
-D/a
No. I live in Los Angeles. Some brief research seems to indicate that the last time it snowed here was in 1954, for a grand total of a third of an inch.
San Fernando Valley 1987. Maybe 1/2". Woke the kids up early so they could see it.
I’ve never bought snow tires, but every winter I swear I will next year.
I don’t just change tires, I change wheels. It cost me $160 at the wreckers to get an extra set of rims. That way I can make the change myself twice a year (takes me 20 minutes) saving lots of money in tire changes at the tire place.
I used to think like this, but then I bought a set of Nokians. The snow tires of the 70s are absolutely nothing like the winter tires of today. Back then, snow tires just meant an open tread pattern. Now they’re exotic tread compounds that somehow stick to ice. Seriously, try to walk on it and you’ll land on your ass, but the car will stop just fine. They’re not actually that great in snow (so if you live in the sticks, you should still go with the 4x4 with open tread pattern snow tires), but they’re practically magic on ordinary icy slick streets. Sure it might cost you $1000-1500 for a second set of (cheapass steel) rims and the tires themselves, but if you’re keeping your vehicle for the life of the tires you’re not actually paying more for the rubber as you’re only driving on one set at a time. And they only have to decrease your stopping distance once, that one critical time, to easily pay for the hassle of swapping wheels twice a year.
Was driving a friend to lunch in my little hatchback after a nasty snowfall and streets were still utterly crap. He customarily drives a bigass Ram 4x4, but is too cheap to spring for winter tires. I gunned it a bit (on a busy 6-lane street) to demonstrate the tires and he damn near crapped his pants. I will never be without top-ranked winter tires again, until I retire to someplace warm.
I live in Southern California.
Pray tell, what are these “seasons” you speak of?